Author: nina hovnanian

Interfax, Russia
Nov 21 2014

Baku angered by friendship declaration between French city and
Nagorno-Karabakh capital

BAKU. Nov 21

Azerbaijan has told the French authorities that it is displeased with
the signing of a declaration of friendship between the French city of
Bouc-Bel-Air and Khankendi (Stepanakert), the capital of the
self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Baku’s protest over this move was expressed by an Azeri Embassy
official during a meeting at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris,
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry acting spokesman Khikmet Gajiyev told
Interfax.

“France, as a co-chair of the OSCE (Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group, recognizes the territorial
integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. However, regrettably, certain
circles in this country being influenced by the large Armenian
community are trying to hurt these relations,” he said.

EurasiaNet.org
Nov 22 2014

Armenians Claim Special Operation Recovered Bodies Of Helicopter Pilots

November 22, 2014 – 11:48am, by Joshua Kucera

Armenian military officials say they have carried out a special
operation to recover the bodies of three crewmembers of a helicopter
shot down by Azerbaijan more than a week before. But their Azerbaijani
counterparts say that the reports of a rescue operation were a
disinformation operation.

The Armenian Mi-24 was shot down November 12 by Azerbaijani
anti-aircraft fire; Armenia says it was conducting a training mission
and Azerbaijan said it was preparing to attack.

The bodies had remained near the crash site, in no man’s land near the
line of contact between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. Earlier this
week, international monitors from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe tried to visit the site and were unable.

On November 22, the de facto ministry of defense of Nagorno Karabakh
announced that a special operation had recovered the bodies: “Taking
into account official statements from the Azerbaijani side and the
complete lack of reason from that side, the armed forces of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic were forced to carry out a special operation
with the aim of ascertaining the fate of the helicopter’s crew,” the
ministry said in a statement. Two Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in
the operation, while the Armenian side suffered no losses, the
statement said.

“Considering the great amount of enemy fire, these actions were
unprecedented in character and difficulty. All was done simply
fantastically, taking into account the considerable losses of the
enemy,” added Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun
Hovhannnisyan on his facebook page. “It was a fantastic operation at a
world-class level.”

The Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense, however, denied that any such
operation had taken place: “This information is unfounded and is
deliberately spread provocation and lies,” the ministry said in a
statement. “It is not excluded that the Armenian side will demonstrate
some remains of previous losses, presenting them as a body of pilots
of the downed helicopter to defraud the Armenian people.”

ARF Western Region Announcement on Artsak Soldiers

Saturday, November 22nd, 2014

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation

The ARF Western Region Central Committee welcomes the heroic efforts
of the Artsakh Defense Forces to free and repatriate the bodies of
three slain soldiers who were shot down by Azerbaijan on November 12.

The government of Azerbaijan continually refused to return the remains
of Maj. Sergey Sahakyan, Sr. Lt. Sargis Nazaryan, and Lt. Azat
Sahakyan, in gross violation of international human rights norms and
agreements. This futile attempt to demoralize the Armenian forces and
people was met with a bold operation, executed with unwavering bravery
and overpowering strength.

With this effort, the Artsakh Defense Forces further demonstrated
their readiness and courage in thwarting any Azeri uses of force and
violence.

We stand proud of those who protect our homeland. Glory to the Armenian Armed
Forces.

ARF WESTERN REGION CENTRAL COMMITTEE

LUTTE-SAMBO
A Narita (Japon), Mavrig Nassibian (74 kg) originaire du Haut
Karabagh, champion du monde de sambo pour l’Arménie

A Narita (Japon), le 21 novembre débutèrent le championnat du monde de
sambo (sport de lutte) en présence de 600 sportifs représentant 80
pays. Dès la première journée se tinrent les finales de trois
catégories de poids. Mavrig Nassibian originaire de l’Artsakh (Haut
Karabagh) en compétition au sein de l’équipe d’Arménie a été sacré
champion du monde de sambo dans la catégorie des 74 kg.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 22 novembre 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

TRANSPORTS
La compagnie aérienne grecque l’> desservira Erévan
l’an prochain

L’une des plus importantes compagnies aériennes de Grèce, l’> prévoit de desservir l’an prochain pour la période estivale
une dizaine de pays supplémentaires à l’étranger avec 16 villes et
parmi ces dernières Erévan (Arménie). Le journal grec >
informe que l’> desservira au total 134 villes dont
34 en Grèce et 100 à l’étranger vers 42 pays. Les 16 nouvelles
dessertes estivales de la compagnie aérienne grecque sont Helsinki,
Toulouse, Deauville, Metz, Naples, Pise, La Valette, Koweït city,
Amsterdam, Paphos, Er-Riad, Talin, Oslo, Teheran, Dubrovnik et Erévan.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 22 novembre 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

ARMENIENS-TURQUIE
L’une des rues d’Istanbul portera le nom de l’acteur d’origine
arménienne Noubar Terzian

L’une des rues d’Istanbul portera le nom de l’acteur arménien de
Turquie, Noubar Terzian pour son apport immense au cinéma turc nous
informe le site Ermenihaber.am. Ce dernier reproduit une information
diffusée par le journal turc >. Selon ce dernier, les
membres de la Fondation de l’Eglise Sourp Hripsimiantz d’Istanbul ont
présenté à de nombreuses reprises aux autorités de la ville de nommer
une rue de Buyukdéré où habitait Noubar Terzian en son nom. Après
plusieurs refus, les autorités de la ville ont accordé l’autorisation
de nommer la rue du nom de l’acteur d’origine arménienne fort célèbre
en Turquie. La plaque sera officiellement déposée dans les prochains
jours.

Noubar Terzian est né à Constantinople (aujourd’hui Istanbul) en 1909.
Il a débuté sa carrière d’acteurs dans des thétres arméniens de
Constantinople. Après l’interdiction de ces derniers par les autorités
turques, Noubar Terzian s’investit dans les thétres turcs. Depuis
1936 jusqu’à sa disparition en 1994, il jouait également de très
nombreux rôles dans le cinéma turc ainsi qu’à la télévision.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 22 novembre 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

HAUT KARABAGH-AZERBAÏDJAN
Les médias d’Azerbaïdjan dans leur ensemble approuvent le tir sur
l’hélicoptère arménien

Conséquence de la haine anti-arménienne entretenue et encouragée par
le gouvernement azéri, la presque quasi-totalité des médias
d’Azerbaïdjan approuvent le tir sur l’hélicoptère arménien le 12
novembre dans la zone de conflit près d’Agna (Aghdam). Le journaliste
azéri Shahin Rzaëv le responsable du bureau de l’Institut d’analyse de
la Guerre et de la Paix (IWPR) a lors d’une conférence de presse le 20
novembre à Bakou a rendu public l’analyse de son Institut sur la
vision de l’opinion et des médias azéris sur l’hélicoptère arménien
abattu dans le ciel du Haut Karabagh.

Selon Shahin Rzaëv, la presque totalité des médias approuvent d’une
même voix le tir sur l’hélicoptère arménien.

In 2014 Armenia reduced imports of rough diamonds mostly due to
decline in supplies to Russia

by Arthur Yernjakyan

Saturday, November 22, 09:38

In 2014 Armenia reduced imports of rough diamonds mostly due to the
decline in supplies to Russia, Armen Yeganyan, Head of the Industrial
Policy Department of the Armenian Economy Ministry, has told ArmInfo.

He said that in Jan-Oct 2014 the Armenian lapidary companies purchased
38 thsd ct of rough diamonds from Russia. Throughout 2013, a total of
96 thsd ct of rough diamonds were purchased. Part of the diamonds was
bought from the Russian Depository of Precious Stones, but the major
part was bought from Alrosa, he added.
Yeganyan pointed out that in accordance with the intergovernmental
agreement, in June 2014 Russia canceled the 6.5% customs duty on the
rough diamonds exported to Armenia. The supplies started in June.
Actually, the 38 thsd ct of Russian diamonds were exported to Armenia
over the past three months. This explains the decline in imports,
Yeganyan said.

It should be pointed out that all the diamonds exported from Russia
are completely being cut in Armenia. Last year the Russian diamonds
were almost completely re-exported to the third countries. Re-export
made up quite a big share in the total amount of export, he said.
Under the specified agreement, in June 2014 Russia not only cancelled
the customs duty, but also banned the re-export to the third
countries, he said.

According to him, in Jan-Oct 2014 Armenia imported a total of 107 thsd
ct from Russia, Namibia, Guinea, Canada, Belgium, Sweden and other
countries 175 thsd ct throughout 2013.

Yeganyan added that in 2015 the import of Russian diamonds will be
fostered. However, he refrained from giving specific forecasts.

Karabakh president posthumously awards MI-24 crewmembers

13:36 * 22.11.14

President of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic Bako Sahakyan has
signed a decree to grant posthumous awards to the crewmembers of the
crashed MI-24 helicopter.

The aircraft, which was shot down by the Azerbaijani armed forces last
Wednesday had three pilots on board – Major Sergey Sahakyan, Senior
lieutenant Sargis Nazaryan and Lieutenant Azat Sahakyan. All have been
posthumously awarded with the medal “For Courage”.

US URGES ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN TO RESOLVE CONFLICT PEACEFULLY

Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 21 2014

21 November 2014, 15:39 (GMT+04:00)

By Ilkin Izzet – Trend:

Both the OSCE Minsk Group and the US State Department expressed their
attitude to the fact that a helicopter of the Armenian armed forces
was downed in the airspace over Nagorno-Karabakh.

We regret the situation that caused the destruction of the helicopter,
the Charge d’Affaires in Azerbaijan Derek Hogan told reporters Nov.20.

US urges the parties to resolve the conflict peacefully, he said.

“During the meetings of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia
in Sochi, Wales and Paris, some progress has been achieved in this
direction,” said Hogan. “We urge the parties to the peaceful settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”

On Nov. 12, at 13:45 (UTC/GMT +4 hours) a Mi-24 helicopter flying 1,700
meters northeast of the Kengerli village of Aghdam district attacked
the positions of the Azerbaijani army. The Azerbaijani side shot down
one helicopter. The debris of the downed helicopter fell on an area,
located 500 meters away from the frontline.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.